


my love is written, clear as day

by agoodpersonrose



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe, Coming Out, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23878843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agoodpersonrose/pseuds/agoodpersonrose
Summary: David and Patrick are friends working together in New York. Whenever Patrick has a bad day, his horoscope in the magazine they work for in inexplicably positive. Little does he know David is the one to write these horoscopes. How will he react when he finds out?
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Patrick Brewer/Rachel, Sebastien Raine/David Rose, Stevie Budd & David Rose
Comments: 47
Kudos: 212





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was an anon prompt on Tumblr that I have been planning for a while now about a woman who writes horoscopes to make her friend feel better - I hope it lives up to expectations!

New York is bustling at this time of year. The Autumn air is clear and crisp, and the tourists have come out in the masses to take their Instagram’s of central park, and the yellow taxis, and walk the city.

David loves this time of year. If you asked him then he would deny it, but he has found true contentment in the city. After a long time travelling with Alexis, and moving from place to place, he had finally settled and gotten a job.

It was at this newspaper company that he had met Stevie. She was capricious and mean, and her attitude could do with some work, but she was his best friend. Stevie edited the romance column for the small newspaper they worked for. The Daily Cheer, owned by Sebastien Raine, was nothing less than a Godsend for David, who had been floating aimlessly through life, until he was given a purpose and a routine, regardless of how small writing the daily horoscope might be.

It was through Stevie, and the newspaper, that David had met Patrick, six short months ago, at a communicating event. David had immediately been very rude to Patrick, who had been there as a partner of Ray Butani’s, who was working for the business department in the newspaper.

Despite his rude attitude, Patrick had appeared to find humour in that interaction. One week later he had bumped into him at the office, and he had teased him, as if they had been friends for years.

Not the kind of friends that David was accustomed to, of course, but a real friend. The sort that he had found in Stevie.

In the same way that David could not truly name what Patrick’s job was, simply that it was something to do with accounting and numbers for the newspaper, Patrick had never learned about the horoscope aspect of David’s writing.

He knew about the articles he had written of course, and he had read all of them, sending David genuine messages of pride and encouragement in response to all of the research and late nights editing he had done.

However, the horoscope aspect simply didn’t seem to be necessary to mention. Or at least, it didn’t until Patrick had scrolled into his office one morning, looking cocky and proud of himself, and slamming the newspaper down on the counter.

“Have you seen this?” He asks, excitedly.

“Um, the copy of last yesterday’s newspaper? Uh, no, I have to suffer through writing and editing stuff for it, I don’t put myself through the torture of reading it as well.” He replies derisively, tucking his work into a folder and wheeling himself away from the desk.

“Look, here!” Patrick says, slamming the paper down on the desk.

“Um, the horoscope section? Don’t tell me you read this?”

“Not religiously, David, I just like to take a look every so often. But look, David, at Gemini, isn’t that amazing?”

David leans over and hesitantly looks at the words he had scribbled down a week before during a coffee break.

_Careful not to be proud in your skills, you may swing and miss if you’re distracted._

“What, what am I reading?” David asks, rolling his eyes.

“David, don’t say that you don’t see it.” Patrick is met with a blank stare, “at the baseball game last weekend? I missed the ball because I was distracted showing off to you and I ended up striking out for like, the first time since I was a child.”

“Oh, yeah, um, was that the game where you were super moody for like hours afterwards?” David asks, feigning ignorance.

“I wasn’t moody, I was-- That’s not the point. How can you tell me you don’t believe in horoscopes when you’ve seen this?”

“Where do you think they get this stuff from, Patrick? Do we work for the same newspaper? It’s probably dragged up out of some swamp somewhere just to be chucked in to print the next day.”

“You’re no fun, David.” Patrick says in his teasing tone, eyes going gooey as he grins at his friend.

“You’re no fun,” David retorts moodily as he stands up, “now are you taking me to lunch or not?”

As they walk to the elevator to leave the office, Sebastien approaches from whatever hole he had climbed out of. Patrick’s mood immediately darkens, and he moves almost protectively to shield David unnecessarily from his almost-boyfriend.

“Hey David,” Sebastien drawls, biting his lip sensually, “last night was fun, we should arrange another meet-up, maybe in the studio next time. You’re gonna look so good under the stage-lights.”

David flushes red and fidgets slightly, “mhm, yeah, um, that would be fun.” He hesitates before adding, “but maybe we could do something a bit more low-key next time? I just wasn’t expecting so many people to come to dinner with us.”

“We had something to celebrate, David, I had to invite people.”

“Okay, but what we were meant to be celebrating was our one-month anniversary, and I didn’t talk to you like, all night.” David explains, moving his hands almost petulantly.

Sebastien just smirks, “you know we don’t define our intimacy in such out-dated terms, David. We have to take any opportunity to build communications with high-status individuals, it’s good for the business.”

“O-okay, I know, I just, was hoping--”

Sebastien moves to grasp David’s face almost possessively, which David appears to be pleased by, “You know how much of a turn-off it is when you talk about tying me down, David. But if it means so much of it, I guess you can come to an event we’re throwing tonight for Clare to celebrate her inheriting her Dad’s company.”

“As- as your date?” David asks nervously.

“Again, with the terms, David. I will catch you later, I have a meeting.” Sebastien says dismissively, attention immediately drawn to somewhere off in the middle-distance.

As they enter the elevator, Patrick sighs, and places his hands in his coat pockets.

“Go on then.” David says after a moment.

“What?”

“Say it.”

“Say what, David?”

David turns to glare at him, and Patrick nods after a moment. “I just don’t understand what you see in him is all, he’s awful.”

David hums reluctantly in agreement, before turning slightly to Patrick, “he’s not as bad as you think, we complement each other.”

“Hmm,” Patrick just shrugs and turns back to face the door, and they walk the rest of the way to the diner without talking about Sebastien.

***

In the evening, David rides the A train back to his apartment. He could probably afford to travel more luxuriously, off both his pay-cheque and the money that his parents send him every couple of months in lieu of a conversation.

But he makes the journey anyway, something about feeling like a real New Yorker, and spending his time surrounded by people always made him feel better after a day spent on his top floor, glass-walled office alone.

He arrives home and sits on the stool by the door to carefully unlace his expensive shoes, and place them on the vintage shoe-rack him and Stevie had found at a flea market uptown a few weeks earlier.

He is just walking into his living room when his phone dings.

_18:23 Had to scratch that invite to the party tonight. Nobody that Clare doesn’t know personally is invited._

**18:23 But we worked together last year on the Solomon Project?**

_18:30 Tell that to her._

**18:31 I can’t I don’t have her number?**

When Sebastien fails to respond to his text, David flops backwards onto his expensive couch and moves to Stevie’s contact.

**18:52 How’s your Friday night going? Mine just got a lot worse.**

_18:53 Well I’m home alone, and I was planning on popping some pills and going to sleep early, but I just remembered that I can’t afford pills._

_18:53 Wanna come over and smoke some low quality weed and bitch about your not-quite-boyfriend?_

**18:55 Already on my way.**

***

He is about three drags in when the conversation turns to Sebastien. It happens naturally, with Stevie turning to him suddenly and asking, through a slice of really good pizza, what he was meant to be doing tonight.

“Um, Sebastien invited me to a thing, but it turns out it was a bit more exclusive than maybe I was expecting, so he had to um, uninvite me.”

“Oh, that’s weird, what thing was it?”

“It was Clare’s celebration party thing? I’m not really sure honestly.”

“Oh.” Stevie says, looking around as if searching for something to change the topic. “I have a question, why do we always do this here and never at yours?”

“Um because your apartment, whilst small, and kind of musty, and in an arguably dodgy area, is actually nice and decorated, whereas mine is an over-sized echoing apartment that my parents bought me when they cancelled Christmas two years ago? Why are you changing the subject?”

“Nothing! Nothing, I was just, um--”

“Oh my God, just tell me!”

Stevie hesitates, taking a long sip of her drink and wincing as the alcohol hits her throat. “Um, I think, I might have seen online, Sebastien went to Clare’s party tonight with, um, with Mark.”

“Mark? You mean the, the new assistant?” David screeches desperately.

“Mhm.”

“The floppy haired one? The one that is like, fresh out of college, basically still got his baby-fat?”

Stevie nods, looking apologetic, “I’m sorry, David, I mean, it might- it might be nothing, I don’t, I don’t know any details or anything.”

David huffs, leaning his head back against the sofa seat, where Stevie strokes a soft hand through his hair affectionately. “It’s fine, I knew this was happening, I just, I was hoping, maybe it would be different.”

“Are you gonna talk to him?”

“Maybe- I don’t know? I can’t be bothered honestly, but he is basically my boss? So, I’m at his beck and call I guess.”

“You don’t have to be, you could always quit.” Stevie suggests logically.

“I can’t, I like this job, I like working near you.” He whines, leaning back further as she pets his head more forcefully.

“-and near Patrick, you mean?”

David groans and leans away from her as if in betrayal, “that is not--”

They are interrupted by a knock on the door, which David stands to answer, swatting at Stevie’s hands which are still reaching out for him teasingly.

He stands in shock at the door as he opens it and finds Patrick stood there, looking dishevelled and with red rings around his eyes.

“Hi, sorry, am I interrupting? I thought you were out tonight?” He asks as he takes in David’s appearance.

“Mhm, nope, unfortunately not, so me and Stevie were just drowning our sorrows and reminiscing about when we were young and hopeful.” He jokes, eyes zoning in on the bottle of booze in Patrick’s right hand, “what are you--?”

“Mind if I join your little pity party?” He asks softly.

“Not at all.” David says, opening the door wider to allow him to enter, and following him back into Stevie’s living room.

“Did we order another pizza by accident, David, because I’m lactose intolerant and if we’re gonna go for a second I’m gonna need to pop a pill- hi, Patrick” She says in surprise as she looks up from making another drink.

“I think I have a lot of catching up to do to get to the point you two are at.” Patrick says, placing his whiskey down on Stevie’s drinks trolley, “make it a strong one, will you?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David deals with finding out some surprising news from Patrick.

Patrick noticeably doesn’t talk about it at that night at Stevie’s. It isn’t until the next morning when he and David are sat opposite sides of a booth at the café down the street, waiting for their pancakes to arrive, that he opens up.

“Rachel wants to get married.” He says suddenly.

David almost chokes on his coffee and has to take deep, calming breaths to re-join the conversation.

“I- I’m sorry what?” He asks after a couple of coughs and another soothing sip.

“She wants me to propose, um, we had an argument and she said that she doesn’t feel like I’m as serious about the relationship as she is.”

“Hmm, okay, and how did this turn into a conversation on marriage?” David asks, thanking Twyla, their usual waitress, as she sets down their breakfasts and moves quickly away, seeming to be able to sense the importance of this conversation.

“I don’t, it didn’t really? Explicitly, but I said that I was serious about the relationship, and then she started talking about rings and I wasn’t really paying full attention, but she seemed to have cheered up, so I just went with it.”

“So, now you’re engaged?” David finishes for him, picking at the fruit on his plate and looking miserable.

His crush on Patrick has been long-lasting, and incredibly pathetic. Despite Patrick’s on-and-off decade-long relationship with a girl from his high school, David had still somehow managed to fall for his colleague completely.

He feels a flash of jealously as he thinks about the perfect wedding that Patrick and Rachel would have, and the perfect little golden children, who excelled at sports and theatre and music.

He looks up and finds Patrick looking positively depressed.

“This doesn’t look like the joy of a newly engaged man? Shouldn’t you have been, I don’t know, fucking like bunnies afterwards? What’s going on?”

Patrick sighs, rubbing a hand over his face dejectedly, “I don’t know, I just can’t shake this feeling that something isn’t right.”

David stays silent, not trusting himself to act as the impartial spectator that Patrick so clearly needs right now.

“You think I’m being ridiculous, don’t you?” Patrick asks, looking up from his plate with one hand over his face in shame, “I know it’s pathetic and it doesn’t make sense I just--”

“It’s not pathetic.” David interjects quickly, reaching over and grasping at Patricks hand, “you’re not pathetic, I’m just - I’m trying to understand.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. There - there must be something wrong with me.”

“There is nothing wrong with you, Patrick. Maybe - maybe it’s just cold-feet! People get that before they get married right, I’m sure some of the most successful marriages have had some nerves before. It’s probably just that!”

Patrick looks disbelievingly at David, but seems willing to accept that explanation, “you could be right.”

David winces, clearly feeling the vibe that he has failed to handle the situation properly and tries to turn the conversation slightly.

“So, here’s something.” He says, poking a strawberry with his fork and biting into it, “guess who is coming to New York to be part of a photo shoot series for the magazine?”

“Who?”

“My mother. Apparently, Sebastien invited her to be a part of a shoot about fashion for the famous or something? I’m not allowed to know the details for some reason, but it means that my parents will be in the city for a week or so.”

“Wow,” Patrick says, nodding and looking thoughtful, “that sounds like a lot.”

Despite never having met David’s parents, Patrick was well-versed in the Rose family drama. They had built their friendship on the grounds of mutual understanding, respect, humour, and the agreement that each would listen to the others family and relationship drama without fear of judgement or unwanted advice.

“Hmm, so if you don’t see me for a while just assume, I’ve dug my own grave and buried myself. Hopefully in a Valentino suit with the gold tubing that I saw in Vogue the other week.”

“That suit would look good on you.” Patrick says, laughing as David reaches to eat off of his plate in retribution.

They pay for the meal and head out of the café, Patrick heading straight to the gym down the street whilst David walks through downtown, poking his head in and out of the shops and dodging the myriad of tourists scattering the streets.

“There must be something wrong with me.”

David couldn’t begin to explain to him how wrong he was. Patrick was the one who had his life together. He was the sensible one, he bought groceries regularly, he had a good job and a nice apartment with his long-term girlfriend, who was sweet, and nice, and also had a good job (in marketing maybe? David wasn’t really sure). If there was something wrong with Patrick, then what hope did David have?

The thing is, David had been really concerned that something was direly wrong when Patrick had turned up at Stevie’s the night before. He had seemed teary almost all night, didn’t take part in any of their dumb competitions and drinking games, and seemed to have a forced lightness about him.

David was convinced that something truly awful had happened, and then he finds out that it was actually something objectively wonderful. It messed with his head as he wrapped the problem around in circles trying to make sense of it.

So, he tries to distract himself. He walks back to his apartment, enjoying the weekend sunshine despite the late Autumn chill, and breathing in deeply.

For a moment, he finds himself without a care in the world. That lasts about as long as the time it takes for him to get back to the apartment, which is echoingly chill and empty, with its large, grey, open spaces and meaningless decorative items.

The doorbell rings and he answers it, looking moodily at the young delivery boy, barely out of education, carrying a huge bundle of about fifty red roses in his arms and leaning out to one side to peer over the display.

“Um, are you David Rose?” The boy asks.

“Yep, bring them in.” David sighs, waving a hand into the apartment and directing the delivery person to deposit them on the kitchen worktop.

He sees him out and returns to the kitchen, looking at the roses as if they are about to bite him. He reads the note.

_A rose for my rose._

_I recognise that last night may have hurt you, I hope you manage to process your feelings soon so that we can see each other again._

_Sebastien._

David winces as he reads the note and opens up his phone to see a text already waiting.

_14:23 Hope you enjoyed my delivery... I’ll be seeing you very soon ;)_

He rolls his eyes and doesn’t respond but leaves the card carefully next to the flowers which he places in a large glass vase in the kitchen.

When Sebastien shows up on his doorstep that evening, without invitation or any apology, David lets him in, and accepts his affection desperately.

***

On the Sunday, David sits at the desk in his home office for most of the day. Sebastien hadn’t stayed the night, and had left a few hours after he had arrived, dressing himself and muttering about a ‘previous engagement’, kissing David coldly on the lips, before fleeing the scene.

Sunday is the day that David usually submits the next week of horoscopes. It’s easier just to get the seven days out of the way in one, it saves the editors the issue of chasing submissions, and created a routine for publisher.

He goes through the signs one by one, making most of Taurus’ focused around the need for change in the form of a new haircut, or a manicure, to make Stevie laugh.

He hits a road bump when he gets to Gemini. Now that Patrick has made him aware that people actually read this column, or, more specifically, that Patrick reads this column, he is suddenly struck by the need to make at least some of them meaningful, or at the very least write something to provide some sort of comfort for his friend.

He begins to write:

_Monday: You’re feeling confused and lost, but don’t let outside pressure force you into make the wrong decision._

_Tuesday: Don’t let the world’s expectations lead you, forge your own path._

_Wednesday: Unexpected circumstances have made you question your life, embrace the sense of indecision, and consider what you really want._

_Thursday: You have more friends than you know._

_Friday: You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do._

_Saturday: Only you can know your own heart._

_Sunday: You deserve to feel all the things you’ve been dreaming about._

He looks at his notes critically, cringing when he realises some of them were hitting the mark closer than was perhaps safe.

He changes half of them into generic statements about the shape of the universe and the cosmic design, and submits the document, turning off his computer and trudging back to the living area.

He spends the rest of the weekend drowsing in front of a baseball game, for no reason other than to feel closer to Patrick.

***

Monday trudges along, dragging the rest of the world with it, and David wakes up to hear the pattering of rain on the window. He sighs, relishing in the feeling of clean sheets and his own bed, before pulling himself up and out of it with a groan.

He washes and dresses, heading straight to the café to order a coffee to go.

He is just waiting in the queue for the take-away counter when Patrick rushes in. He is wearing a camo green parka with the hood up, but when he takes it down there is no hiding the exhaustion in his eyes and his general miserable demeaner.

It takes a few moments for him to notice David, moving up to join him quietly.

“Morning.” He says.

“Morning to you, are you--”

“Can we not talk about it?” Patrick asks, eyes pleading.

David just nods, as he moves up to put in both his and Patrick’s orders, paying by card and waiting for them to be prepared.

“Busy day today?” David asks after a while.

“I spoke to Rachel.” Patrick replies bluntly.

“Hmm, and how did that go?”

“How well do you think it went?” Patrick asks, gesturing to his general appearance but softening his expression when he sees David looking genuinely sympathetic. “I- I’m sorry, it didn’t go great. We got in a big fight.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” David says, and he finds that he genuinely means what he says. No matter how jealous he gets about Patrick and Rachel, he can’t find it in his heart to wish for Patrick’s misery in any situation.

“She is furious that I don’t know what I’m feeling. She says she feels like I’m trying to play with her emotions on purpose or something. Which, I mean, she’s not wrong really is she?”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” David snaps, handing Patrick his tea as they step back out into the rain and walk together towards the office block.

The roads are uncharacteristically quieter than usual in the rain, and they are able to walk next to each other undisturbed by the presence of tourists and the bustle of crowds.

“Did you decide anything?” David asks when Patrick stays silent.

“No, if anything I just feel more confused.”

David nods in understanding, and they pass the magazine rack that stands just inside the spinning doors of the front entrance.

“Maybe this will make me feel better.” Patrick jokes, reaching over and taking one of the free staff copies and flipping quickly to the horoscope page before David can protest. _“You’re feeling confused and lost, but don’t let outside pressure force you into making the wrong decision.”_

David scoffs derisively, “utter rubbish.” He says as Patrick turns to him.

“Oh, come on David, that exactly describes my situation!” He exclaims, waving the paper in his face as if the written word proves his belief.

“No- no it does not! I - any old idiot could have written that. It’s not like it actually means anything.”

“Well, it has already made me feel better thank you very much, and I’m going to follow its advice.”

“Next thing we know you’ll be doing what a fortune cookie tells you.” David says under his breath, whilst trying to hide the pleased expression that had bloomed on his face at Patrick’s words.

“Mm, that’s a good idea, we should get Chinese food.” Patrick nods decisively, as they climb in the elevator. David hums in agreement and laughs as Patrick nudges his shoulder childishly.

He gets off with a short wave over his shoulder the floor below David’s, and David heads up to face the day, and Sebastien, all in one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick reveals to David his plans to propose to Rachel, and the Rose family visit causes even more drama than expected.

A week later, and nothing much has changed for David. Sebastien visited one night, refusing the offer to stay till morning again, leaving in a flurry of designer body spray, and unspoken apologies.

He spends lunch and breakfast with Patrick, and occasionally Stevie, who tags along and mainly pulls sympathetic faces at the both of them.

It’s a Friday night again when the engagement is finally mentioned again. David and Patrick had both coincidentally been working late, and considering it fate, decided to head down to Chinatown to get dinner.

They are each tucking into a bowl of noodles when Patrick pulls a box out of his pocket.

“I bought this.” He says through a mouthful. “I wanted your approval before I give it to her.”

“My- my approval?” David sputters, “why would you need my approval, I barely know her?”

“Your approval on the ring, David.” Patrick replies, giving him an even look over the table. “I figured you would have opinions on what would be correct and incorrect, and I wanted to check that I’d chosen well before I um, proposed, I guess.”

David stays silent, glaring at the ring box across the table as if plotting its demise, but nodding slowly.

Patrick snaps it open, revealing an infinity style ring, rose-gold, with several studded diamonds weaved in. David blanches, trying to find something good to say about it.

“Did I mess it up?” Patrick asks, suddenly looking nervous, “I- I just, she was saying how much she liked this style of ring when we walked past a display the other day, and um, I thought--”

David waves him off, consoling his own taste in style and taking deep, calming breaths, “Patrick, Rachel will love this ring, and that is all that really matters.”

“You don’t think it’s ugly?”

“Oh no, I definitely do, it’s a horrible ring.” He says, earning a surprised laugh from Patrick, “but it’s not me- um, it’s about Rachel and her taste in jewellery, and I think - I think she’ll really like it.”

Patrick looks solemn for a moment, before it breaks into a relieved sigh. “Yeah, you’re right.” He says, pausing and looking at the ring as if seeing it for the first time. “It’s an ugly ring though isn’t it?”

“Truly hideous.”

They laugh together for a moment before both seem to realise how inappropriate it was to joke about Patrick’s future wife’s taste in jewellery, and they distract themselves by shoving more food into their mouths.

“When are your parents arriving?” Patrick asks after a while.

“Mm, next week, I don’t think I’ll see them much though. We have a dinner planned on the Wednesday but other than that they haven’t suggested that we’ll be doing anything else. They’ll probably spend more time with Sebastien than with me, and it’s not like I really see him often anyway so--”

Patrick looks at him sympathetically for a moment, and David fights the urge to defend his parents lack of consideration.

“Well, whenever you’re not doing anything and are feeling bad then we should plan something.” He offers resolutely.

“If we planned to do something every time that I was feeling sad on an evening then we would never leave each other.” David tries to joke, but it falls flat. “Besides, you’ll be spending lots of time with Rachel I’m sure, in that newly-engaged bliss.”

Patrick winces but nods, taking a sip of his drink.

“Talking of Rachel, I should probably let you get back to her.”

“Hmm, yeah I should probably make an appearance at home.” Patrick says, nodding. “But are we still doing lunch tomorrow, with Stevie?”

“Yeah of course.”

***

David and Stevie show up at the café the next day, but Patrick never appears. They wait a couple of hours, eating their food and making jokes to distract from the words that go unspoken, before calling it a day.

Unwilling to retreat back to his apartment and overthink about the joyous sex Patrick and Rachel are most likely having right that moment, David accepts Stevie’s offer for a visit to hers, and they head over for the afternoon.

They are about half the way through a bottle of whiskey when David gets a text from Patrick.

_19:31 I’m so sorry about today! I know I should have texted to say I couldn’t come, and I know it was a real dick move to stand you up, I’ll make it up to you, we have a lot to talk about._

**19:34 Stvie wass stood up too! She is very very upset about the whole ordeal.**

**19:34 She also say s that she hopes the sex was eggcelent.**

**19:36 That was very personal sorry! We hope ur happy**

_19:40 Don’t worry David, I’m sorry again for today. I’ll see you on Monday for breakfast?_

**19:41 Depends if you actually turn up this time.**

**19:41 JK don’t worry homie**

_19:42 I’m really sorry David, I’ll see you Monday._

_19:43 Have a good night with Stevie, tell her I said sorry too._

***

On Monday, Patrick arrives before David, sits in a booth and orders them both their drinks, as well as a chocolate croissant.

David is later than usual, but only by a few minutes, and Patrick suspects it was more about making a point than actually turning up late, but he is too tactful to mention that to his face.

“I’m really sorry, David.” He says, as he slides into the booth across from him, slipping his sunglasses off and looking judgementally at the table in front of him.

“I would have gone for a muffin today, but you were close.” He says, as he tears off a piece of croissant and chews it thoughtfully. “How did the proposal go? Well, I assume, from your lack of warning on standing us up for lunch.”

“I didn’t ditch you to have sex with Rachel, we were arguing.”

David frowns, looking confused and also guilty as he chews his food, “so you’re not engaged then?” He asks.

“Well, no, we are engaged, but we just, it wasn’t the um, the romantic ideal that you made it out to be.” Patrick says, looking down at his hands.

“Hmm, real life is never quite what everyone makes it out to be though is it?” David says softly, sliding the other half of the croissant across the table in a silent peace offering.

Patrick pulls off a mouthful and chews it. “It wasn’t awful I suppose. I gave her the ring on Friday night, you were right she loved it. But then, um, when I said I was heading out to meet you and Stevie she got really upset. She said that the proposal was meaningless if I didn’t even intend on spending the rest of the weekend with her and--”

He cuts himself off, looking guilty and covering his face with his hands.

“Ugh, I can’t believe I’m bitching about my fiancée less than two days after proposing. I can’t believe I’m this guy.”

David pats his shoulder in a way he hopes is comforting, but his face betrays his emotions immediately.

“Okay, I’m not mad at you for skipping lunch anymore.” He says after a moment, “you should be mad at yourself because the coffee cake was divine, but I understand that you needed to spend time with Rachel this weekend, and it was selfish of me to expect you to hold up that agreement after something so massive had happened in your life.”

“We didn’t even spend the weekend together in the end!” Patrick exclaims, “We sat in separate rooms for most of it, I don’t know why--”

“Okay, it’s okay, this is fixable.”

Patrick sighs, looking apprehensive. “I know you think these are dumb David, but I want you to hear me out.” He says, pulling his phone out and opening a photo, holding the phone across the table.

The picture is of the horoscope from Sunday, it reads “ _You deserve to feel all the things you’ve been dreaming about._ ”

“I just- I know this is dumb, but I spent the whole day on Sunday moping about how everything doesn’t feel right, and now I’ve read this, and it just, it feels like someone, somewhere actually sees me, and sees how I’m feeling and it’s like, maybe I do deserve to feel real romance- maybe Rachel deserves that. Is that ridiculous.”

David sighs in defeat, “I mean, a little?” He says slowly, before shaking his head, “you know how I feel about these dumb things. You can’t decide your life based on a couple of dumb words in a magazine, only you know what you deserve, and clearly something must be going right with Rachel if you’ve decided to marry her.”

Patrick’s face falls in front of him, and for a moment David is tempted to backtrack, to agree with Patrick and the words that he knows he had written, and tell him that he does deserve better, and he should pursue his own happiness.

But he can’t. Because he knows that he wrote those words in a moment of weakness, a moment when he had been mourning the loss of his friend, and that they were not a true reflecting of knowing Patrick, but instead, a reflection of David’s own emotions being placed on the page in the pathetic hope that Patrick may somehow feel the same.

But he doesn’t, and therefore it would be selfish for David to try and get involved in Patrick’s relationship, his long-term, serious relationship, with the woman he will marry, because of some petty jealousy.

“I just- I don’t think you should trust the horoscopes.” He says after a while, hating himself more with every word, “they’re just silly words on a page, and you and Rachel have been together for so long, I just, I think you should at least try to make it work with her.”

Patrick nods silently, looking disappointedly into his drink.

They sip in silent for a moment before he looks up, face forcibly blank, and nods towards the door. “We should get to work.” He says sadly.

***

David can’t shake the feeling that he’s done something horrifically wrong with Patrick, so he does what he does best, and ignores the problem.

They continue as usual, meeting for lunch and coffee, popping into the office and waving in the corridors. Except now Patrick won’t meet David’s eye, and David is keeping his physical as well as emotional distance by trying extremely hard to make sure that they are not left alone together for too long as if afraid that he won’t be able to stop himself from throwing himself on the other man.

So, when Wednesday comes, and his parents neglect to mention that their dinner plans had been scaled up to actually involve a large party of famous business-people and New York A-listers, David has nobody but Stevie to call.

She picks up, listens to him complain, and tells him she’s on her way.

What she neglects to mention is that she is on her way with Patrick in tow, wearing a very nice but very cheap dark blue suit, and carrying a bottle of booze.

David opens the door to his parents New York apartment, breathing a sigh of relief as he takes in the image of his friends.

“Oh, thank God,” he says, looking nervously but appreciatively at the both of them, “it’s mad in here, it’s like the whole city got the invite except for me.”

Patrick chuckles slightly, “I never would have been able to tell you hadn’t got the memo David, you’re wearing a couture suit.”

David is in fact wearing a burgundy velvet suit, with black ribbing and a matching black and white pocket square. But he lets the comment slide and takes the compliment.

“Thank you, you two also look lovely.” He replies, accepting the bottle of alcohol and looking at it judgementally, “and you brought the cheap vodka I see.”

“Anything to make a bad impression in front of a room of rich snobs.” Stevie says, with an ungraceful bow.

“Mm, you read my mind, come in, ignore any comments about your outfits you both look very nice considering your budget, and don’t eat the crab cakes.”

“Is there something wrong with--”

“Oh no, not at all, I just want to save as many as possible and discreetly shame eat them when the night is over.” David says waving his hand dismissively and still looking judgementally at the bottle of alcohol.

“Should we get some mixers?” Patrick asks.

“Hah, absolutely not, I brought these as well, I figured there must be somewhere in this huge apartment we could hide but still technically attend.” Stevie says, pulling cheap, mulit-coloured plastic shot glasses out of her shoulder bag and presenting them triumphantly.

“Ooh, absolutely.” David says, making a grab at them.

The group head through the crowded room carefully, saying polite hello’s to people from the company, and dodging those that they thought were better to be avoided, before arriving in a large room behind a closed door.

“What room is this?” Stevie asks, looking around with interest.

“It’s my mom’s wig room.” David replies, pointing to the numerous wigs placed carefully on stands in one corner.

“Your parents needed this whole room just for, what, ten wigs?” Patrick asks, not bothering to keep the judgement out of his voice.

“Oh, absolutely not. That isn’t even a tenth of her collection, the rest are at their home in LA.”

Patrick pulls a face somewhere between impressed and horrified, before turning back to the matter at hand.

They each take two shots of vodka before taking a seat on the floor in the corner of the room, legs crossed.

It takes about an hour for David to relax fully, and several more drinks before he starts to enjoy himself. They laugh about menial things, like what Sandra had said at that week’s company-wide meeting, and the fact that Stevie still blushed like an idiot every time she tried to talk to Twyla from the café.

David is lying back on the floor now, his head in Stevie’s lap and his legs stretched out towards Patrick, who he kicks every so often to punctuate a point or just to get a reaction, when there is the loud sound of a bell tolling.

“Ughh,” he moans, rolling over and pushing off the floor slowly, “that’s the announcement, we have to go back out there.”

“The announcement?” Stevie asks with a laugh, “they have a special bell for it?”

“It’s a whole thing, don’t ask.”

They stick their heads out of the room and re-join the group, staying towards the back and still within running distance of the door to the wig room, as if intending on returning in the event of disaster.

His parents stand at the front of the room, on a small raised platform. Off to the side Sebastien is leaning with his arms crossed, looking cocky, standing out for his completely different aesthetic; his bedraggled but expensive clothes almost the complete contrast of everyone else in the room.

“Our esteemed guests, if we could have your attention please.” Moira drones from the front, tapping her rings against her champagne glass lazily and looking around the already silent room, “we have a small announcement to make to do with our exquisite son, David Rose.”

At this, she reaches an arm out for him, expecting him to be stood next to Sebastien. When he is not there, she looks round the room with an eagle eye and repeats the gesture, leading to a number of people turning around to curiously stare at David, who looks as if he wants to sink into the floor.

The only thing grounding him, is Stevie’s vice-like grip on his arm, and Patrick’s hand on his back.

“As many of you are well aware, our David has been working extremely hard on The Daily Cheer, with his partner Sebastien.” David rolls his eyes at this, and Moira continues, “We want to congratulate their efforts, and the wonderful team that they make, by funding a new issue of the magazine.”

Johnny steps forward at this point, to take over the business side of it; a dance that the Roses had perfected through years of experience.

“The Rose Video Corporation is intending on funding and sponsoring a sub-section of the Magazine. It will involve art by Sebastien himself, as well as numerous other up and coming artists, and each issue will bring into question different aspects of society.”

At this, Sebastien removes the silk that had been hanging over a display stand on the stage.

“The first issue will be published in the coming week.” Johnny finishes, gesturing to Sebastien to continue.

“I want to thank the Roses hospitality. I am incredibly grateful for the faith that they have put in me and my business, as well as the affection and dedication that their son has graced me with.”

David tenses as he takes in the scene. Sebastien is stood next to a display of the new magazine. The front page displays a picture of him, clearly naked in bed, his bare ass on display whilst the rest of his body is covered by white sheets.

The shot is artistic, his dark hair that covers his body standing out against the pale background, but David immediately feels sick to his stomach.

Sebastien continues.

“This is why, for the first copy of the magazine will be dedicated to you, David, with various artistic shots that I myself have taken of you, to emphasise the beauty, and the complexity of vanity in modern society.”

The room applauds politely, but Stevie and Patrick just turn to look at David, who is stood still with his hand over his mouth.

“David, um, did you--”

“I didn’t know.” He mutters, tears already falling from his eyes as he turns his back on the room and takes deep, gulping breaths.

“Okay, David, I need you to focus on me.” Stevie says, suddenly her voice ringing in his ears as the world fades out of focus. He focuses on her voice, but not the words, and her hands tight on his arms.

After a few moments, he hears her take large, exaggerated breathes, and copies them, slowing his breathing down and allowing him to blink the room back into focus.

“Are you with me?” She asks, after he has calmed down enough to wipe his eyes.

David shakes his head, “I’m gonna be sick.” He mumbles, pushing past them and running down the corridor urgently, falling to the floor in one of the many bathrooms and dry heaving over the bowl.

He feels hands on his back, soothingly rubbing his shoulders. They disappear momentarily but return with a damp rag to place against his forehead.

David looks up and is surprised to look into Patrick’s deep brown eyes, looking at him with concern.

“It’s gonna be okay, David.” Patrick says, hands still moving to soothe and de-stress, “we can fix this, there’s got to be- it must be illegal to publish those, you didn’t give consent, and--”

“I can’t sue my parents, Patrick. With what money? All my money is theirs already, they would just take their money back.” He lets out another thick sob, “there’s nothing I can do to stop this from happening, it’s already happened.”

Patrick pulls him fully into his chest, stroking his hair and mumbling condolences as David continues to sob.

They sit there on the bathroom floor for another ten minutes before Stevie returns, looking rushed.

“Your parents didn’t know about that bit.” She says quickly, “your dad is super confused, he’s going to talk to Sebastien about it and try and delay the release until they’ve prepared something else.”

“and my mom?” David asks, already knowing the answer.

Stevie winces, “Well, she doesn’t think it’s that big a deal, and she thinks that you should be flattered.”

David nods slowly, “Do you think she knew about it?”

Stevie hesitates, “I don’t know David, I’ve- It’s not like I was ever that good at reading your parents. She doesn’t seem that surprised, but equally I don’t think she knew it would be this bad.”

David hums, turning his face back into Patrick’s chest and breathing in deeply, smelling the comforting scent of Patrick’s cedar and pinewood bodywash.

“What do you want to do?” Stevie asks after a moment.

“Can I come home with you?” David asks after a moment, looking up.

Stevie nods immediately and reaches out a hand to help him up.

They head out of the apartment together, Stevie and Patrick effectively forming a barrier between the guests and David, batting off any questions as they barge through the busy room. They even manage to avoid Mr and Mrs Rose, who make a weak attempt, but eventually get distracted by a photographer asking for photos of the event.

They get an uber back to Stevie’s and clamber up the stairs.

“You should go home.” David says to Patrick as they enter the apartment, “Rachel is probably wondering where you are right now, and I don’t want to cause issues--”

“I can’t leave you after that David.” Patrick replies resolutely, sitting down on the couch and pulling David down next to him. “Now, Stevie is going to order us a pizza, because she had far more to drink than we did and I paid for that bottle of vodka, and we are going to work this out together.”

David sighs and gives up on his attempt to push Patrick away, instead leaning further into him as they slump against the cushions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, my eternal message is just fuck Sebastien Raine.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed anyway!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David takes part in a little undercover mission to deal with the news about Sebastien's new issue of the magazine.

The rest of the week passes quickly. David manages to avoid any interactions with Sebastien whilst desperately communicating with his dad to try and prevent the magazine being published.

On the Friday morning he has a meeting with his father’s lawyers.

Patrick insists that he should go with him and wait outside, and so that’s where he is, lingering, when David storms out of the room in his decorative designer suit, rubbing tears away from his eyes with his arm and trying to push past him and out the door.

“David- David, stop! Wait!” Patrick says, grasping onto his arm as he passes and trying to keep up. He has to run slightly, tugging at David to try to get him to stop, which he does, facing away from him, towards a large painting of the city on one of the lobby walls. “What happened? What did they say?”

“There’s nothing they can do.” David says through sobs, “They aren’t going to do anything. Apparently, there’s something in my contract that I didn’t- I didn’t check it properly maybe, and my Dad won’t pay for the legal fees to take it on in court so I can’t--”

He cuts off, fulling sobbing now and unable to get any more words out.

“David--” Patrick says, trying to pull him towards him.

“Please don’t do this right now, Patrick.” David says sharply, stepping away from him and waving his reaching hands away.

“I just want to help you David I--”

“I don’t need your help; I don’t need anyone’s - God! I was so stupid; this is all my fault!”

“It’s not your fault David--” Patrick continues to try to placate him but to no success.

“Can you leave me alone please?”

He sounds so genuine that Patrick pauses. “Is- is that what you really want?” He asks quietly, looking at David with a concerned expression.

“Yes, I just, I want - I don’t - I just--” David trails off, biting the nail of his thumb. “I need to be on my own right now.” 

Patrick nods slowly but hesitates. “Is there nothing I can do for you? Anything at all, we can get food, or you can come to stay with me, or--”

“It’s fine, I’m okay, I - Stevie already offered so I’m going to just go back to hers and get some sleep. Um- can I just talk to you tomorrow?”

Patrick looks hurt but accepts David’s request, turning and slowly walking towards the elevators, looking over his shoulder at regular intervals to watch as David sits on a bench with his head in his hands.

He looks around one last time before David is out of sight.

*** 

David does not head back to Stevie’s after the meeting, and instead goes into work. He stops in a bathroom in the office to wash his face. He rubs at his lips a little to pinken them up, and sighs as he takes in his appearance.

The suit he had chosen for the meeting is tight fitting. He briefly considers removing the jacket and rolling up the sleeves but remembers the cost of the outfit and chooses against it but removes the tie and slips it into his bag.

He gets the elevator up to his floor, taking a deep breath before exiting and immediately locking eyes with Sebastien across the room.

Sebastien effectively stalks over to him, like he’s hunting his prey.

“Hey, David, how are you doing? You look transcendent today, like something out of a magazine.”

David manages to repress his wince and smile flirtingly back, ghosting a hand over Sebastien’s arm in a way that he knows is enticing and suggestive.

“Mm, I guess that will be the truth soon enough thanks to you.” He murmurs.

“About that, David. My therapist has told me I shouldn’t feel guilt for things like that, but your story just needs to be told.”

“Mhm, it didn’t feel great.” 

Sebastien takes the bait and raises his hands to cup David’s face. “I know that, and I think your reaction to the news is really something that we should explore, together.”

“Yeah?”

They’re almost whispering at this point, and Sebastien leans in to talk directly into David’s ear, his breath ghosting over the hair at the back of his neck.

“I think we need to explore this, physically, and get back on the same page. It’s the only way we’re going to get through this and learn to trust each other again.”

David has to hold his breath to prevent himself from retching, and nods.

“I have some time off now, how about we go to my apartment and, explore?”

“Okay, uh, if that’s what you- you’re the expert.”

Sebastien pulls on David’s hand and leads him towards the elevators with no further discussion. They stand in silence waiting for it and climb in. It’s empty, and Sebastien takes the opportunity to place a suggestive hand on David’s lower back, ghosting over his hips with no discretion.

The bell dings and the doors open at the floor below. A few people clamber in, pushing David closer into Sebastien’s side.

Just as the doors are about to close, he sees Patrick approaching. For a moment he looks as if he’s going to run to join the elevator and at the sight of David his face looks hopeful and concerned. However, as soon as he sees Sebastien stood so closely next to him the look is gone and replaced with shock and horror.

Before David can say anything or make any sort of communication with Patrick, the doors are closing and they’re moving back down towards the ground floor.

*** 

How David manages to make it through the ‘exploration of each other physically’ without being physically sick, he will never know. But he does, and soon enough, Sebastien is fast asleep on the bed, leaving David alone in the apartment.

He takes a look at the sleeping figure, crinkling his nose in disgust as he considers the selfishness of Sebastien as a partner, and as a boss, unable to stop himself from thinking back over the many times he had been in this exact position, trying to gain more affection from the man.

He shakes his head as if to dislodge the thoughts and looks strategically around the room. Across it, opposite the bed, sits a large desk and computer.

He moves his fingers on the trackpad and sighs in relief as the screen lights up, glancing once more back at Sebastien nervously before clicking to log on.

He is pleasantly surprised when he finds that there is no password needed to access the account, and immediately sets around searching for the cloud documents for the newspaper.

The magazine had established the cloud documents a couple of months back. It was actually one of the first changes Patrick had made when he’d gotten the job, and it was intended to ensure that there was less risk of losing access to documents and articles that had been prepared as everyone was able to find them from any computer.

It was only Sebastien’s profile that had access to deleting the contents, however.

David scrolls through the folder, reading the titles quickly and dismissing those that weren’t relevant. He eventually finds a folder titled ‘The Rose Family Son: A Relationship in Profile’ and sighs in relief, opening it to check its contents before scrolling down through it.

It is full to the brim of pictures of David in his most intimate and vulnerable moments. Pictures of him asleep, eating, looking at himself in the mirror, and even one that Sebastien must have taken immediately after having sex in his apartment a few weeks before.

David takes deep breaths to calm himself and moves the whole thing into the trash. He then finds the folder in Sebastien’s private documents and moves that in there too. He scrolls through emails and deletes them from there, and lastly, removes the memory card from the camera beside the computer and slips it into his pocket.

He makes quick work of clearing the trash, checking one final time that everything is deleted, before logging off from Sebastien’s account and returning the computer so it appears that nothing has moved.

Momentarily, he looks back at Sebastien, lying on his front on the bed with his bare ass displayed, and considers taking some revenge photos of his own.

He quickly quashes this thought however, as a voice in his head sounding suspiciously like Patrick reminds him that that would make him just as bad as the man lying before him. Instead, he makes sure he is fully dressed, looking around the room for anything he might have left, and slips out of the apartment silently, leaving the key Sebastien had given him on the side table by the door.

*** 

“Can you see it at all?” David asks, leaning over where Stevie is sat at her computer, scrolling through the cloud file. Her hair is tied up into a messy bun, and she is wearing her open flannel over an old t-shirt with stains on it.

“Oh my God, David. Give me a minute!” She exclaims.

David had headed straight over to Stevie’s on leaving Sebastien’s apartment. She had answered his frantic knocking with a surprised look, letting him in quickly and immediately being rushed over to her computer.

“It’s not there.” She says slowly, taking a second slow look to check her statement, “David. It’s not there.”

She jumps up out of the chair and meets David’s excited bopping. She grips his arms tightly and pulls him in for a hug.

“It’s not there! I really did it!” David exclaims.

“You did it! You’ve done it! There’s nothing left!” 

They hop around for a few more moments before heading over to the couch.

“I need a drink.” David says, flopping down pathetically, all energy suddenly leaving his body and being replaced by bone-aching exhaustion.

Stevie heads over to the drinks cabinet and pours them both a generous serving of whiskey. She hands David his glass and sits comfortably next to him.

“Are you okay?” She asks, taking in David’s sudden change in mood and wincing cautiously.

“I’m just- I’m really relieved.” David replies, accepting the drink and taking a long slip, “and so, so exhausted.”

“It’s over David, there’s nothing they can do.”

“Do you think there will be any legal issues though?” David asks, worrying his lip with his teeth and looking anxious, “like, something in the contract, about deleting work or something?”

“I can’t imagine there will be, David.”

“What about Sebastien? He’ll definitely know it was me.”

“Not for sure, and even if he does know what is he going to do about it? You’re not going to sleep with him again, so he won’t get any opportunity to take any more photos, and what’s he going to say?”

“You’re right, I know you’re right.” David says, putting a hand over his eyes and screwing up his face. “What about Patrick though?”

“What about Patrick?”

“I was- I told him I was coming straight here after the meeting this morning. But he saw me leaving with Sebastien. He’s going to be so disappointed with me when he finds out what I did.” He says sadly.

Stevie looks thoughtful for a moment and reaches a hand tentatively out to rub David’s shoulder comfortingly.

“But you know I don’t judge you for what you did, right?”

David nods.

“and you’re not upset- you don’t regret doing it?”

David shakes his head.

“I don’t think Patrick will be as bad about it as you think.” She says slowly, “Once he understands what you were doing, there’s no reason for him to be really mad at you or anything.”

“I guess you’re right.” David replies. But he can’t help but feel the guilt gnawing in his stomach at the thought of Patrick’s disappointment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David and Patrick deal with their miscommunication whilst both going through something, and David speaks to Rachel.

It’s Sunday again, and David is drafting his horoscopes for the week again. He chews his pen as he looks down at the blank page in front of him, frowning.

Once again, he is stuck on Gemini, unable to come up with the words that would be suitable to help solve his issues with Patrick.

They haven’t gotten around to speaking yet. They had been intending to get breakfast together the day before, but Patrick had sent a text cancelling that morning, saying that something had come up and not to worry. That he would see him on Monday.

So, David had returned home from Stevie’s, and spent the weekend alone. He spent a long-time watching day-time television, slumped on his couch in a pair of old sweatpants and a t-shirt Patrick had left there a couple of weeks before.

He then started looking for more affordable apartments, closer to Stevie. He wasn’t willing to cut himself off from his parents’ money completely, but his time working at the magazine had given him the opportunity to build up a small savings account of his own, and he had every intention to start funding his own accommodation as soon as possible.

But nothing could distract him from the anxiety that filled his stomach every time he thought about Patrick, and the image of his concerned face outside the elevator just two days before.

He bats the pen against the desk rhythmically in thought.

He is about to start writing when his phone starts ringing, and Stevie’s contact picture flashes up on the screen.

“What?” He asks picking up, and immediately rolling his eyes.

“Hey, David?” She replies quietly, clearly whispering, “Can you come over please? Patrick’s here.”

“What--”

“Just come, David.” She hisses sharply, hanging up on him and leaving David to stare at his blank phone in confusion.

“What the fuck?” He asks the empty room, standing up hesitantly and going over to his bedroom to change.

He rushes over to Stevie’s, his mind helpfully providing him with a variety of different potential disasters that might have befallen them and lets himself in with his key.

He walks cautiously through into the living area, and sees Patrick and Stevie sat on the floor at the foot of the couch, shoulder to shoulder, with a bottle of cheap red wine open between them.

Patrick looks up in surprise as he enters, and then turns to glare at Stevie. “I told you not to call him.” He hisses, pouting at her in betrayal.

She just shrugs, taking a long sip from the wine and looking between them both.

“Oh, I can- um, I can just go--” David says sadly, pointing behind him and already half turning to the door in embarrassment.

“No!” Stevie interrupts, jumping up unsteadily on her feet and grabbing at David, pulling him onto the floor next to her and resting her head on his shoulder. “David stays.”

Patrick looks moodily at the floor but nods, “Yeah, don’t go.” He says, passing the wine bottle across Stevie and over to David, who looks at it with distaste but takes a deep swig, swallowing and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“David deserves to join our pity party.” Stevie says placatingly. “He’s had a hard-enough week, I think he’s earned a drink.”

Patrick hums, but still looks moody, “Hard isn’t the word I would use.” He mutters.

“Okay--” Stevie tries to interject, but David is already looking up across at her furiously.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know what it means.” Patrick responds, snatching the wine back from Stevie’s hands, “Yeah it didn’t start great, but it had a happy ending I’m sure.”

David is at a loss for words and just gapes at him silently, moving his mouth open and closed like a goldfish.

“Am I wrong?” Patrick asks, harshly.

“That’s not fair!” David exclaims in return, “I didn’t- you don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Stevie gives up on trying to interrupt them and leans back further into the seats of the couch, turning her head from side to side as if watching a tennis match.

“Yeah, sure I don’t David.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” David mutters, reaching again to grab at the bottle and taking a quick sip. “Why are you at this pity party anyway. Surely you should be at home with your wife?”

Stevie flinches, and Patrick sits there silently for a minute. David immediately realises his error and tries to backtrack, covering his mouth with one hand as he tries to come up with something to say.

“I didn’t- I mean--”

“We broke up.” Patrick says simply, “and she is keeping the apartment, so I needed somewhere to stay. I normally would have come to you, but I didn’t want to interrupt you and Sebastien, so I asked Stevie and she said I could stay here a while.”

David’s face falls, and his eyes well up with tears.

“I’m sorry I- I didn’t know that you- I wouldn’t have--”

Patrick shakes off his apologies dismissively and turns his face away from the group.

The three of them sit awkwardly like that, all facing forward but still shoulder to shoulder against the couch seats. They are only interrupted by David’s phone ringing again.

He looks apologetic but picks it up, flinching when he sees Alexis’ photo.

“Hello, David?”

“Yes, hi Alexis, what’s do you need?”

“Ugh, why do you always assume I need something?”

“Oh, alright I’ll just--”

“-- _No!_ No David, can you call Dad’s lawyers, the international ones. I’m in Dubai, and I might need a new passport but that really depends on whether or not I can make it to the airport without--”

“I already gave you their number!” David exclaims, moving to stand and pace slightly across the apartment, in the corner of his eye he can see Patrick and Stevie looking at him worriedly.

“Oh my God, David. I don’t know what their names are! Can’t you just--”

“Okay, for the passport I’m going to need a photo do you have one--”

“Yeah it’s in your files on your computer.”

“Right, and the lawyer’s name is Geoffrey Archer, and the code to get through his secretary is ‘Lemon Cake’. Can you remember that?” David asks, slipping his bag over his shoulder and leaning away from the phone to wave apologetically at Stevie.

“Yes, George Archer and Lemon Cake, I’ve got it.” Alexis mutters over the phone, already sounding distracted.

“Alexis, it’s _Geoffrey!”_

 _“Yes!_ Okay Geoffrey, I’ve got it.”

David sighs, running his hand through his hair as he moves to leave the apartment.

“I’ll get the lawyers to send the passport as soon as they have it.” He mutters.

“Thanks David, you’re a doll!” Alexis chirps in response, sounding far too cheery for someone in such a dire situation, but it calms David slightly and he hangs up the phone.

“I’ve got to--” he says quietly, gesturing to the door as he turns back to the others. They are both stood up, looking concerned.

“David--” Patrick starts, moving as if to reach out for him, but David waves it off and runs another hand through his hair.

“Another time, I’ve got to- um, I need to go deal with this.” He replies, screwing his eyes shut for a moment before taking a deep, steeling breath and leaving the apartment.

As he swings round the door, he catches one final glimpse at Patrick’s broken expression, and feels his stomach clench in guilt.

***

It isn’t until Alexis is officially on Canadian soil, at the embassy in Dubai, that David finally feels like he can breathe again.

It was a close call this time, and it took considerably more work than usual to get the replacement passport over to her and ensure she was accepted by the embassy staff.

He returns to his apartment, too afraid of the awkward reaction of Patrick if he were to return to Stevie’s. Despite this, he finds the silence overwhelming, and finds that the last thing he wants to do in that moment is be alone.

Regardless, he goes home and collapses on his large couch. He opens his emails on his laptop, finding an arrangement for an apartment viewing in a couple of days, and a reminder from the magazine staff to submit the last of his horoscopes before the next day.

He huffs, opening the document and scrolling down to Gemini. He thinks hard for a moment, biting his lips as he considers the things that Patrick might need to hear, before typing quickly for the whole week.

_Monday: You’ve made a massive life changing decision, and despite your fear, it was the right one._

_Tuesday: Not everything is what it seems, don’t trust your assumptions if you’ve only seen a moment._

_Wednesday: Don’t be ashamed for asking for the love that you give out so freely in return._

_Thursday: Somebody, somewhere, is thinking about you fondly, and will be by your side regardless._

_Friday: There’s something really wonderful coming for you, you just have to wait for it._

_Saturday: You’re loved, truly and deeply, for who you are._

_Sunday: Give love a chance._

He sighs, reading over them one final time before submitting them without a second thought about how close he’s getting to the truth.

In this moment, however, he can’t find it in him to care, and he sends the document before placing his laptop to one side and heading to bed.

***

The next morning, he goes to the café as usual, but there is no sign of Patrick anywhere. He sighs sadly, chalking it up to him having travelled to work with Stevie, or perhaps taking some time off, and sits down at their usual booth.

He had arrived early, so he pulls his phone out of his pocket and sends a quick text off to Alexis whilst he eats his fruit and sips his coffee.

He looks up when someone slides into the seat opposite him, and is surprised to see Rachel sat there, looking thoughtful.

“Um, hi?” He says, through a mouthful of melon, raising a hand to his mouth to cover it as he chews furiously. “Um, are you- how are you--”

She frowns at him. “Doesn’t Patrick usually eat breakfast with you?” She asks after a moment.

“Hmm, yeah, sometimes, um, he’s not- I don’t think we’re having breakfast together today though.”

“I thought I might be able to talk to him.” She says looking cautious, “I assume you heard that he--”

“Mhm, yeah, I might have heard- um, I might have heard something about it. How are you- um, how are you holding up?”

“I’m just confused honestly David. He’s been so erratic the last few weeks, and then he came home on Friday and I’ve never seen him like this before. I’m worried honestly.”

David hums noncommittally and pierces a strawberry with his fork, raising it slowly to his mouth whilst he waits for her to continue.

“It’s been a couple of weeks.” She says, seeming to get more comfortable in her seat as she continues talking. “He’s been raving about these horoscopes in the magazine. He even hid it from me once when I came into the room! I thought he was hiding something really bad, but it turns out he has a collection of them in a folder on his phone.”

“I’m sorry, what?” David asks weakly, swallowing and feeling his pulse rate increase as his skin prickles.

“I don’t know what it is about them, but he’s become really strangely protective over them.” She says, clueless to David’s emotional reaction. “and then he’s been really absent for a while, like he is never at home and when he is, he barely even talks to me. I figured maybe it was nerves about proposing but then it has just got worse since then I think- I think he might have felt like he had to ask me to marry him.”

“Did you not want--”

“No, I- I did, I thought I did want to marry him. I was so excited when he asked, I thought everything was going to go back to normal. But he’s been in an awful mood all week, and then yesterday he just turns around to me in the kitchen and tells me he can’t marry me, and that he needs to leave!”

David lets her rant at him, feeling his muscles tense up every sentence, but nodding silently to allow her to continue.

“That must have been- um, hard, for you?” He asks tentatively when she pauses for longer than a second.

“It was.” She agrees, but shrugs, “but I don’t want to marry him if he doesn’t want to marry me. I just, I’m so confused, and I thought he would be here, but when I saw you I- I just needed to talk to someone, I’m sorry for unloading all this on you.” She continues rambling, looking more and more embarrassed, and David can’t help but take pity on her.

He reaches a hand across the table to grasp hers. “It’s okay, um, can I- can I maybe get you something, a coffee? Or maybe, maybe a tea?” He asks, in a way he hopes conveys the comfort he is aiming for.

She sighs sadly, looking around at the café as if only just taking in her surroundings.

“No, no, it’s okay. I should get to work I just was hoping I’d be able to talk to him quickly.” She grabs her bag and shuffles back across the bench to make her leave, pausing before standing up and turning back towards David. “Thank you for listening though David. Patrick is really lucky to have a friend like you around.”

David says nothing but shrugs and smiles slightly to accept the compliment.

“Bye,” he mutters as she stands fully and waves at him on her way out of the café.

He downs the rest of his coffee and stands, following her out and heading to work, his head spinning uncomfortably.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys talk things out, and work out what they're going to do next.

Life is different when Patrick is mad at him. It’s quieter, and there’s less joy. It doesn’t help that Patrick got Stevie in the divorce, and so now David has to go and look at apartments on his own.

On the Wednesday he takes a half day at work. Sebastien had yet to mention the missing pictures for the new magazine, but had been avoiding David since that Friday, which suited him fine.

He couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop; for Sebastien to find some more photos, or for him to violently attack him in the middle of the office, but it didn’t. The rumour around the office was that Sebastien was seeing someone else and they weren’t comfortable with the photos being printed, so he had deleted them.

That lie suited David perfectly; it removed any blame from him and also ensured that people weren’t connecting him and Sebastien romantically, or sexually, anymore.

His mother was heartbroken on his behalf. She had sent a total of two texts saying how sorry she was that Sebastien had dumped him and that he wouldn’t get his ten minutes of fame from the photos. David had neglected to respond, leaving her to believe what she wanted, but he couldn’t help but resent her implications.

The second text was what prompted him to accept the house viewing on the Wednesday to look for his own apartment.

He arrives at the address and is impressed to find a small but quaint apartment, with exposed brick around a fireplace, and plenty of cupboard space for his clothes (he’s not a savage, he’s keeping his clothes).

He is discussing the contract with the realtor, when the front door opens, and he is surprised to see Patrick walk in behind a very energetic looking man.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you would have finished by now!” The man says.

“Hi Ray, nope, David and I were actually just talking about contracts.” Bob says in response, looking competitive.

They look at each other for a moment, before Bob turns to David.

“We’re just going to talk outside, I’ll be back in a moment to go over the details with you, alright?” He says, heading out the front door with Ray in tow.

David and Patrick stare at each other awkwardly. Patrick has his hands in his pockets and is looking sheepish, whilst David silently curses the universe for putting them in this position.

It’s Patrick who eventually breaks the silence.

“So, you’re um, looking for apartments then?”

David nods, “Yeah, I um, I couldn’t live, um, there anymore.” He says, shaking his head in disgust at the prospect and waving a hand around as he usually does.

“Hmm, this is a bit, um, different, for you I mean?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” David says, narrowing his eyes as if to dare Patrick to continue. “Um, I just needed somewhere more, um, homey?”

Patrick nods and lets a little “Ah” out, stuffing his hands deeper into his jeans as a self-preservation method. David is well aware of this move, and immediately softens in response.

“Look--”

“Can we just--”

They talk over each other and both stop, looking flustered and embarrassed,

“You first.” David says.

“I’m sorry I reacted like that David.” Patrick says, stepping closer. “Stevie explained it to me and I- I feel awful that you had to do that.”

“Well, it was my own choice.”

“I know, and I don’t blame you for it or judge it at all. I wish you hadn’t had to do that, truly I do, but I understand why you did and I’m sorry that I acted so childishly about it.”

David hums, and tips his head to the side to take in Patrick’s apology. “Well I’m sorry too.” He says, “I should have been more thoughtful the other night. I’m really sorry to hear about you and Rachel and I- I should have been there for you.”

Patrick smirks, “That’s very generous of you, David.”

“Mm, well, talking of generosity.” David replies, looking around the room as if to remind Patrick of their situation.

To his surprise, Patrick just laughs and shakes his head. “You were here first David. If you want the apartment it’s yours.”

David screws up his mouth. “Okay, I just- that doesn’t seem very fair? I don’t want to immediately go back into feeling resentment when we literally just made up.”

“Oh, we’ll find a way of making it fair I think.” Patrick says smirking, “I’ll be here all the time anyway I’m sure, and if I don’t find a place before you move in then I was hoping you’d let me crash with you here instead of Stevie’s.”

“Hmm.”

“I love her, but she is such a pig.”

“Hah, well, that is very true.” David says chuckling and looking around bashfully to try and quieten his heartbeat. “I’m sure that can be arranged; you can stay here, I mean. It would be um, nice?”

“Thank you for that vote of confidence.” Patrick replies cheekily.

It’s at this moment that Ray and Bob reappear, looking satisfied. 

“We’ve come to an agreement gentlemen--” Ray starts but is cut off by Patrick who raises his hand to interrupt.

“There’s no need Ray, David is welcome to have the apartment if that’s what he still wants.”

The two realtors look surprised but relieved, and Ray immediately perks back up as he takes in the news.

“Well that is excellent. I actually have some other options available for you Patrick, if you’d like to follow me to my car and I will take you to the bottom floor apartment of a block on the East Side. It’s very affordable, if you know what I mean.” He adds with a wink.

Patrick looks at David and shakes his head as he moves to leave, and David reaches an arm out to stop him.

“Don’t take that apartment.” He mutters into his ear, and Patrick nods dramatically.

“Oh, yeah, definitely not.”

*** 

The next morning, when David arrives at the café, Patrick is already there sitting in his booth and sipping a tea. He waves at David across the room and points to the mug in front of him.

David heads straight over, unable to keep the smile off his face, and slides into the booth.

“Hello, thank you.” He says as he pulls the coffee towards him and takes a sip.

“You’re welcome.” Patrick replies, looking pleased.

They’re silent for a minute, whilst David wakes up fully and Patrick enjoys watching David slowly open his eyes wider and sit up straighter.

“You know, I really missed this.” David says quietly after a moment.

“Me too, I- I wanted to say sorry again, for everything that happened. I shouldn’t have been so--”

“Stop!” David says, dismissively, frowning and waving a hand around to interrupt. “We both did and said things we shouldn’t have, probably me more than you, I don’t need you to apologise to me anymore.”

Patrick nods slowly, “So, I have some information that might interest you.”

“Hm?”

“I got a document through today about the issue of the Magazine. The um, the one with you in it. The funding for it has been pulled by Rose Incorporated and they don’t want to be connected with The Daily Cheer anymore. Sebastien isn’t going to be able to publish anymore of his photoshoots in the Magazine at threat of legal action.”

David sits there with his mouth open for a moment in shock. “How did that happen?” He asks, “My parents wouldn’t have done that by themselves, something must have--”

Patrick winces, looking guilty and pleased with himself simultaneously. “I might have had something to do with it.” He says, “I may have sent a document stating that the price of the Magazine was going to increase as Sebastien was intending on doing reshoots of the missing pictures, and I guess it was the final straw for your parents. They seemed content for it to have already happened but wouldn’t fund him doing it again.”

“You- you lied on a document?” David asks, surprised.

“It was only a little one. For all I know Sebastien might have been considering reshoots, I just pre-empted it.”

“You’re very sneaky, you know that?” David says, smiling into his drink as he looks at his friend across the table. 

They are interrupted by the arrival of Stevie, who slips into the booth next to David and shoves at him to move along.

“Rude!” He exclaims as she takes a sip of his coffee before he can stop her.

“Nice to see you two here again.” Stevie replies, unperturbed, “does this mean you’re going to stop moping around my apartment?” She directs at Patrick, who looks embarrassed.

“Stevie!” David hisses, “He literally just broke off an engagement could you be a little more sympathetic.”

She just shrugs in response and swipes a sip of Patrick’s tea, who gives in easily and just smiles at her.

“Talking of, how are you holding up?” David asks, turning his attention back to Patrick as he remembers the break-up. “Do you need anything? From your apartment, or anything?”

“No, no David it’s fine. I’m doing alright. I spoke to Rachel yesterday when I went to get my stuff and we’re fine.” He pauses. “Well. We’re not fine, she’s pretty upset with me understandably, but we’re done for good now.”

David can’t help but look sadly at him across the table. He reaches out a hand to tap Patrick’s wrist sympathetically.

“Okay, but you’ll let me know if I can do anything?”

“Sure, thank you David.”

When David turns back to his coffee, he looks down to find his cup empty. Stevie has already slipped out of the booth to approach the counter, and is leaning over it talking to the waitress, Twyla, about something.

“She could be there a while.” David says, nodding over to her, “should we just head out?”

“Sure David.” Patrick agrees, and they slip out of the café and into the cold weather outside.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David tries to be more considerate of Patrick, who insists that it's unnecessary.

Despite Patrick’s insistence that he’s fine, David continues to worry about him for the rest of the week. It isn’t until the Saturday at breakfast that this worry compounds itself fully.

“Are you sure that you’re alright?” David asks, looking at Patrick who has zoned out for the third time whilst David was talking and is sat with his chin propped up by his hand, staring at David, and looking thoughtful.

“Hmm? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You seem a bit distracted is all. Is this still about the whole--”

“No!” Patrick exclaims, with far more vigour than David would deem necessary. “No, David, I’m not upset about that at all. I’m the one that ended things, and I’m happy that I did, and I’m feeling really good about everything since then.”

“Okay, what’s going on then?”

“I’m just not sleeping well on Stevie’s couch is all.” Patrick says, shrugging.

“Oh. Well, I’d offer for you to stay at mine, but the apartment is full of boxes and I’m moving everything into the new apartment next week so--”

“That’s okay David, I wasn’t asking--”

“I know that. I just, once I’ve moved all my stuff into the new place, I want you to know that you’re welcome to move in with me whilst you’re still looking.” He pauses, as Patrick appears to zone out again. “Or maybe I could come on some viewings with you? Since you can’t seem to pay attention to anything for more than five minutes?”

“I don’t think you being there would help with that, David.” Patrick replies, snorting derisively.

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

Patrick’s eyes widen as he considers what he’s said. “Nothing. Nothing, um, actually it doesn’t-- Have you read the Magazine for today?”

“Is this about those ridiculous horoscopes again?”

“You have no sense of excitement, David.” Patrick says, shaking his head as if in pity.

“Apparently our definition of exciting is very different.” David replies. “Enlighten me, what does your horoscope say today?”

Patrick pulls out his phone to show David a picture but reads it out for him anyway. “ _You’re loved, truly and deeply, for who you are._ Don’t you think that’s romantic?”

“Hmm, I’m sure romance is exactly what you’re looking for a week after you broke off your engagement.” David responds, blushing nevertheless and regretting his choice of wording. “So is it, is it only your own horoscopes you take off this little chart thing, or do you look for everyone.”

“Are you asking what your horoscope is, David?” Patrick asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I- no, I was just wondering whether you needed like, an actual intervention or not.”

“Hm, well, I do have a picture of it saved.”

He laughs slightly when David physically perks up and turns his head to look at the phone again.

Of course, David should already know what he had written for his own horoscopes. However, in general it was an easy job. The easiest job for the magazine and one he usually would only spend an hour on during a Sunday evening.

Therefore, he didn’t really pay attention to the things he was writing, least of all his own horoscope. He usually added something in to make Stevie laugh, but other than that the only ones he made any effort for was for Patrick’s.

“You’re a cancer, right?” Patrick asks, already knowing full well and turning the screen to show David.

“ _Somebody is waiting to catch you when you fall._ ” David reads out, heart rate quickening as he curses his own writing. “Well, that’s just ridiculous. What am I going to fall from?”

Patrick seems disappointed with his reaction but keeps up the humour of the conversation. “Well it’s not literal, David. It’s clearly a metaphor.”

“For what exactly?”

“Gosh, I don’t know. It doesn’t- I just like them is that so bad?”

David winces, “No, I’m sorry, I know, I just, don’t think they mean much.”

Patrick nods, slipping his phone away and still looking downtrodden. “Oh, okay, I know, I just thought maybe it was different now.”

David frowns, looking confused, but doesn’t push it. Instead, he tucks into the omelette that Twyla has placed on the table with considerable speed.

***

On Sunday, David finds himself spending most of the day packing the few items he intends on keeping after his move into boxes. It mainly consists of clothes and accessories; the furniture being too high-end and too large for his new apartment, and he owns very little sentimental stuff.

Once finished, he flops down on the modern-style white sofa and pulls out his laptop to finish his horoscope submission before bed.

He is just completing the week for Pisces when he gets a text from Patrick.

_22:43 Are you busy?_

**22:43 Depends, what’s up?**

_22:46 It’s nothing, it’s stupid. Pretend I didn’t say anything._

David frowns at the message, clicking Patrick’s contact and calling him.

“Hello?” He answers, sounding hushed, “You didn’t have to call David I just--”

“Talk to me?”

He hears Patrick sigh, and then the sound of some rustling before he continues. “I was just, Stevie is in bed already, and I don’t know, I just felt a bit on my own, and I just, I wanted to talk to you.”

“Well now you’re talking to me. What did you want to talk about?”

“What did you get up to today?”

“Is that a polite thing to say or are you genuinely asking?” David asks, frowning and scrolling down his work document as he listens.

Patrick snorts, “I’m really asking David, I think you know me a little better than that by now.”

“Hmm, that’s true. I’ve not really done anything interesting though.”

“Tell me anyway?”

“Okay.” David says, frowning and thinking hard, “I um, I made potato latkes for the first time and didn’t burn down the apartment? Not that it would matter since I’m starting to move my stuff into the new apartment soon.”

David hears Patrick hum to indicate that he is still listening, and he continues.

“I packed up a lot of my clothes in dust-repellent bags. I caught up with some work, and I’m just writing my last thing for the magazine to submit for tomorrow.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt. What are you working on, maybe I can help?” Patrick asks.

“Oh, oh no, nope, it’s nothing. You wouldn’t- it’s not something that I need. I’m good thank you.” David splutters, blushing. “Tell me about you, are you doing okay?”

He hears Patrick sigh, and types in the background as he listens, completing Aries before Patrick even gets through his first sentence.

“I just, do you ever feel like nobody really sees you?”

“I think that would be a bit impossible, you’ve seen my clothes.”

“No not like that, David. I mean like, people are only really seeing one side of you and won’t let themselves see you any other way. Like they just assume one thing and after that assumption has been made it’s like nothing you can do will ever change their mind.”

David hums thoughtfully, stomach clenching up is sadness.

“I just- I feel like sometimes there’s something right in front of your eyes that you just can’t see. Do you know what I’m trying to say?”

“Um, not fully, but I kind of get the gist?” David tries, immediately realising he’s said the wrong thing when Patrick sounds dejected in response.

“I don’t know, David. I think I’m just struggling a bit. Maybe trying to read into things that aren’t there.”

“Like what?”

Patrick doesn’t respond. Instead, David can hear the sound of Stevie talking across the line and waits patiently for him to continue.

“David, I should go, I shouldn’t keep Stevie up. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll be there.” David replies, sighing as he hangs up the phone and turns back to his work.

He hesitates, before shrugging and writing his notes. Sending them before he gets a chance to edit them.

_Monday: You are seen, even if you feel invisible._

_Tuesday: There really is something right in front of your eyes._

_Wednesday: Don’t waste time on people who aren’t trying to see the real you._

_Thursday: Who you are is valuable, and important, and loved._

_Friday: You’re not on your own, no matter how lonely you feel._

_Saturday: Everything you do is inspiring, and you’re important to those around you._

_Sunday: Love is closer than you might think._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter left! These boys are clueless I'm sorry!
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything comes to a head as David's secret is revealed. But how will Patrick react when he finds out it's David that has been writing him the horoscopes he's been obsessing over?

Life continues as usual from that point on, and it’s not until the Thursday that things start falling apart.

David has arrived in work slightly late, he had spent the evening before carrying boxes up and down the stairs of his new apartment and beginning to unpack, so he had slept through his alarm twice that morning.

When he arrives in the office, he is immediately accosted by Sebastien, who stands in his way to block the path to his desk.

“David Rose.” He drawls, “Come into my office.”

David sighs and follows him to the glass walled office, standing nervously by his desk, dreading the worst.

“Um, Is everything okay?” He asks.

“You tell me.” Sebastien replies, standing beside him slightly too close but not close enough for David to step back. “After that stunt that you played with the photos, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to catch you out, and I finally found one.”

David hums, turning his head to look out of the office and see a collection of his colleagues stood watching the interaction.

“Okay,” He says slowly, planning his reaction and escape route in his head as he talks, “And what is that?” He asks, turning back to Sebastien.

They are interrupted by a knock on the door, and Patrick enters, his eyebrows furrowed, making him look murderous.

“We’re in a meeting.” Sebastien snaps.

Patrick nods calmly, but continues to glare, “I’ve spoken to the legal team and every employee has the right to refuse privacy if they are uncomfortable. I will only leave if David asks me too.”

Patrick turns to David, raising his eyebrow in question.

“David doesn’t need protection from you.” Sebastien replies, rolling his eyes as if tired from the conversation but taking a large step back regardless.

“That may be true, but I don’t think you need another run in with the Rose lawyers do you Mr Raine? I think I’m going to stay for this conversation, at least until the lawyer arrives.”

Sebastien sighs but seems to accept it, turning back to David.

“As I was saying. We’ve been having issues with your work effort recently, and today was the last straw. You’ve now been late three times, as well as being late on submitting your writing.”

“I stay late at work constantly.” David responds, already feeling braver knowing that Patrick is stood behind him. “I have time owing, and I always write it down on my payslip when I’ve been late.”

“And how do you explain the magazine submissions?”

“I don’t know when I’ve ever submitted any articles late, and they are always done to the highest standards.”

Sebastien scoffs at this and crosses his arms.

“You’ve been late several times for the horoscope submission, and they are getting lower and lower quality.”

David’s stomach falls through his feet and hits the floor. He feels his heart-beat stutter and strain as he struggles to breathe. He looks back towards Patrick who is looking at him with shock evident on his face.

“So,” Sebastien continues, unaware of the emotional turmoil he has caused. “We will be removing you from this section of the magazine effective immediately. You’re being demoted.”

This statement snaps David back into the conversation and he looks at Sebastien furiously.

“You can’t do that! That’s not- I haven’t given you a just reason to do that!”

“Believe it or not David Rose, it’s my magazine, and I can legally do whatever I want with my employees.”

David looks disgusted, and turns his whole body to face the man, pointing his finger at Sebastien. “You’re disgusting.” He growls, “and you can’t do anything to me anymore because I am not your employee. I quit, effective immediately.”

He turns on his heel and storms out the room past Patrick and hears him turn to Sebastien as well.

“I’m out too. Here’s my notice, and David’s and Stevie’s.” He says, placing three letters on the desk and following David out.

They arrive on the street and pause, looking at each other before bursting into laughter.

“You wrote a notice for me?” David asks, looking at Patrick with shock.

“Well, it’s always good to be prepared David.” Patrick replies, laughing.

“Did you really call my lawyer?”

“No, I don’t um, I don’t know the number of your lawyer. I know Geoffrey Archer but he’s the international one, right?”

“You’re right.” David says, his stance softening as he leans closer to Patrick.

Suddenly he remembers the fact that Patrick has just been told about the horoscopes, and his stomach sinks again. The smile falls off his face and he takes a step back, shaking himself lightly.

They turn around at the same time to see Stevie running out of the building to follow them. She has a bag slung over her shoulder and a box of assorted items in one hand as she pushes her way through the revolving door.

“Wait for me!” She exclaims, joining them. “That was very impressive boys.” She says as she arrives and shoves the box into Patrick’s arms.

“I’m glad you enjoyed the show.” David says chuckling awkwardly and pulling his potted plant out of the box. “Thank you for saving this. I’m going to go and put it in my apartment and carry on unpacking.”

Patrick looks disappointed and shuffles closer to David, “Shouldn’t we be going out to celebrate?” He asks, looking hopeful, “Dinner maybe? Or lunch?”

“Hah, I just quit my job, I don’t think I’ll be able to afford dinner for a long time now.” David replies.

“Seconded. I need to go and put all this away.” Stevie adds, “But we’ll plan something for tonight? Or tomorrow?” She asks looking to David, seeming to be well aware of the tense energy between her two friends.

“Definitely, you can come and help me unpack.”

Patrick looks between the two of them and his shoulders seem to drop as Stevie tilts her head at him. “You coming, Brewer?” She asks softly after a moment.

He hesitates a moment longer, looking at David thoughtfully. “Can we talk later?” He murmurs under his breath.

David just nods anxiously, screwing up his face in embarrassment, “We can talk whenever you’d like.”

He watches as they walk down the road towards Stevie’s and turns the opposite direction to his own apartment.

***

David spends the rest of the week unpacking. He sends texts to Stevie cancelling any plans and politely rebuffs Patrick’s attempt to initiate conversation whilst he focuses all his energy on sorting through his belongings and job-searching.

It’s the Sunday, and he is sat on his laptop, when the stress really hits him. He is at the time of day when he would usually be writing the horoscopes for Patrick- well, for the newspaper, and he can’t seem to stop thinking about them.

His phone rings, and he sees Patrick’s profile light up the screen. He leaves it, moving towards the kitchen and looking out of the small window at the rain.

His phone vibrates again, this time with a text, that he doesn’t read, instead opening his book and staring blankly at the pages.

There’s an urgent knocking at the door.

This one gets his attention, and he looks through the peep hole to see nothing. When he opens it however, he looks down to see a piece of folded paper with his name on it.

David,

He picks it up and closes the door, looking one last time down the corridor to see the person who had left it but finding nothing.

He sits down on his couch and opens the paper to find messy writing scrawled out along it.

_Monday: You’re my favourite person to talk to._

_Tuesday: You make me laugh like nobody else._

_Wednesday: You’re the first person I want to tell when I have news._

_Thursday: I always want to be there to protect you._

_Friday: I miss you whenever I’m not with you, and sometimes even when I am._

_Saturday: I always want to be around you, I’m always thinking about you._

_Sunday: I’m in love with you, David Rose._

About half-way down the list, and David is gasping back tears as he clenches the paper in his hand. His phone vibrates again with a text, and this time he picks it up.

_He has four missed calls from Patrick from that day, and the same number of texts waiting._

_10:45 Are you busy today? Can I take you out for lunch? We have a lot to talk about._

_15:52 I guess you’re busy, but maybe we can do breakfast tomorrow? I really need to talk to you._

_19:45 David, please pick up, I just read today’s Magazine._

_20:34 Did you get my message?_

David sighs, gripping his phone tightly as tears roll down his cheeks. He opens Patrick’s contact and presses call, listening to the dial tone which only rings for a moment before he picks up.

“Hello? David?” Patrick’s voice rings through. David can hear the sound of traffic and rain in the background.

“Come back.” David says quietly, before hanging up.

He doesn’t have to wait long, and soon enough there is a tentative knock on the door. He looks in his hallway mirror that he had hung that afternoon and wipes his face with his hands before opening the door.

Patrick is stood there, slightly damp from the rain with droplets running down his coat and looking anxiously at the ground towards his feet.

“Did you mean it?” David asks immediately.

Patrick looks up in shock. “Of course, I meant it David I- Did you, did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“David!” Patrick whines, looking helpless.

David screws up his mouth and hesitates for one more minute before nodding decisively. “I meant all of them.” He admits quietly.

He moves to look up at Patrick’s reaction but before he can, two warm, wet hands have clasped his face and Patrick is kissing him harshly on the lips.

He pulls back, looking stressed, but David just pushes the door closed behind him and leans in again, pressing his lips back for another passionate kiss.

He is just skating his tongue across the seam of Patrick’s lips when he pulls back. David whines pathetically and tries to follow him but Patrick just chuckles, leaning his head back out of the way.

“How long have you--” Patrick manages to get out before David’s lips are on him again.

“What?” David asks, pulling back properly to listen to the question, but not before planting one last kiss on Patrick’s now blushed red lips.

“I thought the horoscopes were as close as I was going to get.” Patrick mutters, looking embarrassed.

“What do you mean?”

“David, I knew you wrote the horoscopes.”

“What- how would you, why didn’t you-- How?” David splutters, moving away but pausing when Patrick’s hands reach out to grab at his, keeping him close.

“David, I know what your job is.” Patrick says laughing, “and there were like five horoscopes for Stevie to get a haircut that week, you weren’t exactly discreet.”

David frowns, looking perturbed. “Then why didn’t you--”

“I knew you wrote them David, I just, I didn’t know that you meant them like that, for me.”

David is still looking confused, so Patrick continues.

“I just, I thought the horoscopes would be the only way of getting you to say things like that about me. I had an idea that you wrote nice things for when I had a bad week, but I didn’t know whether or not it was because we’re friends, or because you felt--”

“Felt what, Patrick?”

Patrick stammers, looking down at his feet. “Felt the same way I do about you.” He mumbles.

David can’t stop the smile that rises on his face. He tightens his grip on Patrick and pulls him back for another crushing kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was such a fun prompt! I might have deviated slightly from the original but I hope whoever sent the message has enjoyed it, let me know what you thought!!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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